


'Till Tomorrow's Sun

by i_write_fanfics_to_procrastinate



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, a quest?, laxus finds his mom, or does he?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:15:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23845807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_fanfics_to_procrastinate/pseuds/i_write_fanfics_to_procrastinate
Summary: Laxus never knew his mother, and after dreaming of her he is desperate to find her and finally discover who he truly is.AU-ish....
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. The Dream

His room was dim. The light of a glowing lacrima nightlight cast little yellow shadows on his walls. He remembered… vaguely… through his fogginess… His grandfather tucking him in underneath the thick quilt his grandmother had made. _“Goodnight, Gramps,”_ he had giggled, still wide awake. Now, hours later, something had woken him. Just barely. He couldn’t shake away that last bit of sleepiness. It felt almost like he was dreaming.

“Laxus…” The voice sounded so familiar, as if he had heard it in his dreams before. He was too far into sleep to respond. Someone sat on the edge of his bed, and a gentle, warm hand reached up and brush the hair away from his eyes, resting on his forehead for just a moment. _So familiar…_ Then she began to sing as he drifted in and out of sleep. He knew the melody, as if it had always been a part of him.

_“Sleep, my darling, sleep_

_Naught will ever harm you._

_Mama’s here to hold you._

_Mama’s heart is always true.”_

He felt her lift him gently into her arms, cradling him close. Yes, he’d had this dream before. He was sure of it now. But this time it was clearer than before… he knew he would remember…

_“Sleep, my darling, close your eyes,_

_Let me hold you close._

_Set aside your troubles_

_'till tomorrow’s sun has rose.”_

He could see her, barely through his eyelashes. Tears hanging from her chin, glistening in the light of the lacrima nightlight, blonde hair in a long braid hanging over her shoulder… but he couldn’t see her eyes…

_“Sleep, my darling, sleep_

_Naught will ever harm you._

_Mama’s here to hold you._

_Mama will protect you…”_

She trailed off, choking on a sob. He knew she was trying not to wake him. Her shoulders were shaking. “ _Always… always…”_ she whispered. She was laying him back down in bed, tucking the thick quilt around him, pulling it up to his chin. _Wake up!_ He begged himself to shake away the sleep that was preventing him from holding her. _Don’t let her go! Tell her… you need her! Wake… up!_

She pressed a kiss to his forehead, voice shaky, “I love you. I _love_ you more than anything…”

_Wake up, Laxus!_ She was leaving! She was— _Wake up!_

⁂

He woke up shaking, trying to catch his breath. _What the hell was that?!_ He remembered the details vividly. The lullaby, the sound of her voice, the light on his bedroom walls. _Where am I?!_ He sat up, struggling to clear away the dreariness of sleep. White walls, an old cigar box on his dresser, his window, facing the back alley of a restaurant. _Safe._ It was his apartment. For a moment, he wondered if he was back home… _No, this_ is _home._ He traced his hands over the sheets, missing the feel of his grandmother’s quilt.

“What the _hell_ was that?” He grumbled, pulling himself out of bed, stretching with a groan, and grabbing a t-shirt to pull on over his broad shoulders before exiting his bedroom. _Coffee, and then maybe I’ll feel better._ He ran his fingers through his staticky hair, taking in a deep breath of cold air. The heat was clearly broken again. Laxus rolled his eyes, pulled on his coat, and shoes, downed his coffee and slipped out of his crappy apartment.

He wasn’t sure where he was going until he found himself on the path back to his grandfather’s little house. _Gramps won’t be home._ The old man probably even _slept_ at the guild now. The guild, for so long, was everything Makarov had, after he lost Ivan, and then his wife, and then… even Laxus for a little while.

Guilt bit deep in Laxus’s heart, like thorns twisted around his ribs and reaching for his heart. He had promised himself, long ago, that he would make it up to his grandfather. _For all the shit I’ve done… to you… to our family… and you only ever loved me._ He knew he would be repaying that debt for the rest of his life. He gritted his teeth. “Always thinking about sad things, huh?” He huffed. His dream resurfaced in his mind. _“I love you… I love you more than anything.”_

 _My mother._ It had to be, right? It seemed less and less like a dream, and more and more like a memory. His mother. _Would she love me ever now? After everything I’ve done?_ He gritted his teeth. _Dammit!_ She had abandoned him! Hadn’t she?! In truth, he had never asked his grandfather or his father about his mother.

But this morning, that was a tiny desire in his heart—something urging him on… a tiny, tiny whisper. _I want… to find her._ He had never thought something like that before. And it filled him with anxiety. He could easily find her! He was a mage from Fairy Tail, after all! But… what happened if he did? He hesitated, standing outside his grandfather’s little home on the edge of Magnolia—the place he grew up. _Would she hate me? Despise me?_ He balled his hands into fists. Or… the melody of that lullaby…

The door to his childhood home suddenly swung open, and Laxus took a step back, blinking down at his grandfather.

“Laxus?!” Makarov said, eyes wide. “What are you doing here?” Had it really been that long since he’d visited his childhood home?

“I…” Laxus let out a deep sigh, “I need to talk to you about something.”

⁂

“Well, this is a surprise,” Makarov said, setting the teapot aside. And letting out a deep sigh. “You haven’t come to visit me like this in some time.”

“I see you every day at the guild,” Laxus said.

“Still,” Makarov said, offering his grandson a smile, “This is where you grew up, Laxus! Don’t you miss it at all?”

Laxus remembered his lacrima nightlight, the warm quilt is grandmother made, the smell of hot chocolate… his grandfather’s laugh…

“I came here for a reason,” he said, avoiding the question. Makarov frowned, his expression steady, serious.

“What’s wrong?”

“I…” he hesitated again, gripping his knee with one hand so tight his knuckles turned white. “I want to know… about my mother.”

Makarov’s eyes widened, but then he nodded as if he had been completely expecting the question. “Your mother…”

“Yes.”

“Well, to be honest, Laxus, there’s not much I know.” Makarov murmured.

“Tell me what you do,” Laxus said, orange eyes wide, “Please.”

“Alright, well… it was a long time ago.” Makarov said, scratching his chin. “But I remember a young woman came to this house, your mother… She had you, you were only a few days old.” He smiled a little, “I remember… how small you were.”

“Gramps,” Laxus groaned.

“Your mother seemed troubled…”

“What did she look like?” Laxus asked, “Did she say her name?”

“No, she didn’t give us her name,” Makarov said. “I remember, she had blonde hair, like you… I’m sorry, Laxus, you know I’m not good at remembering things like this.”

“What did she say?” Laxus asked.

“She told us… that she was with Ivan, and that you were his son— _her_ son. Laxus. She _named_ you.” He smiled a little. “She told us, she trusted us, she knew that I was leader of the guild Fairy Tail, and that as long as you were a part of that guild you would be protected. She brought you to us, to keep you as far away from Ivan as she could…” Makarov sighed. “At that time, you know, your father was a wanderer. So your grandmother and I pledged to raise you with Fairy Tail as your family.” He sighed, “I didn’t want to believe what your mother said, about Ivan… I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt… but… because I did so many people got hurt. _You_ got hurt—”

“Gramps…” Laxus sighed, “You believed in family. What Ivan did—it isn’t your fault.” So, his mother had wanted to protect him from his father. But if that were the case, why didn’t she return for him? Didn’t she hear Ivan was coming back to Fairy Tail? Maybe she had had too much trust in the wizards of the guild. There were still too many questions. _Who are you? Where are you?_ “I want to find her,” he said.

“I’m sorry, for your sake, that I never got her name,” Makarov said. “Your father would know, of course…”

“Even if that old man was alive I wouldn’t go to him,” Laxus growled, hands balling into fists. “But there must be another way.”

Makarov’s eyes suddenly lit up. “She did mention where she had come from!”

“…Like where she lived?” Laxus asked.

“I don’t think so, but it must have been the town you were born in. You were only a few days old when she came to us… I would check with the hospital there.”

“What did she say exactly?” Laxus frowned.

“She said she had what felt like a long journey, all the way from Oshibana Town.”

“Oshibana.” Laxus mused. “Then I’ll go there.”

“There’s a fairly large hospital in that town. I’m sure they’ll have records dating years and years ago. They’ll have something from that day,” Makarov nodded.

“Thanks, Gramps.” Laxus stood to go, but Makarov called out after him.

“Laxus!”

The lightning dragon slayer turned to face his grandfather. “Yeah?”

“Good luck.” 


	2. The Hospital

“Laxus!!!”

“Where are you going?!”

_Great._ He had hoped to keep this mission to himself. But he should have known better than to expect that he could just sneak away without his friends noticing. They skidded to a halt in front of him. Evergreen looked the most irritated out of the three of them. “Were you leaving without us?!” She snapped.

“Why?! Why were you leaving without us?” Freed asked. Laxus let out a heavy sigh.

_How the hell am I going to explain this one away?_ “I… took a job. It really only requires one person—”

“That never stopped you before,” Evergreen said, narrowing her eyes.

“It’s just a simple job,” Laxus shrugged his shoulders, “I can do it on my own, really.”

“Out of the question,” Freed said, “We’re your team, Laxus!”

“I can do this one on my own,” he practically snapped. Freed looked hurt. Bickslow and Ever both looked taken aback.

“Fiine!” Laxus gritted his teeth, “You all can come. Tch. _Unbelievable_.”

They were on the train to Oshibana Town when Ever began to ask questions. “What kind of job is it?”

“It’s uhh…” Laxus hesitated, staring out the window at the passing scenery. He was just starting to get nauseous. “It’s a missing person job, I guess. For… Gramps.”

“Isn’t that a big deal?” Bickslow frowned. “I feel like that’s a big deal.”

“If it’s a missing person, shouldn’t we have a lot of the members of our guild out searching for them?” Ever asked.

“Uhh…” His stomach was turning. He leaned against the window of the train to try and cool down. _Stupid transportation._ “They’ve been missing for a long time. I want to try and find them.”

“Well, first,” Freed said, “We should get a description of this person. What’s their name—”

“I don’t know her name,” Laxus groaned.

“Th…then… how do you know they’re missing?”

“Just--!” He interrupted himself, dropping his head back against the seat, a wave of nausea rolling over him.

After a moment of silence, Evergreen whispered, “Her?” Laxus didn’t respond. _Should have been more careful about leaving Magnolia._ He cared about his friends, but he didn’t want them wrapped up in this. “Laxus…” Evergreen frowned, “Are you… looking for your mother?” Freed and Bickslow glanced over at Evergreen with wide eyes. Laxus didn’t respond.

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Freed whispered. “Why did you want to hide that from us?”

He shook his head, “It’s something I had to deal with on my own.”

“Laxus…” Evergreen’s brow was furrowed. He knew she was worried about him.

“You have a team,” Freed said, determination in his blue eyes. “We’ll help you find your mother!”

Laxus shook his head and smiled a little, “Thanks.”

* * *

The hospital in Oshibana town was very large and pristine. They arrived on the grounds, and Laxus had no idea where to start. Would they even let them look at the records? “Come on,” Ever said, “We can ask the front desk where to find the records.”

_Guess we’ll find out._ The nurse at the front desk offered them a smile. “How many I help you?”

“We’re looking for records,” Evergreen said.

“Ah okay! Records are just down the hall there, you can’t miss the door. It’s labeled. It’s on the right.”

“Thanks.”

The records room was a small office, and there was a nurse there too, whose job it was to retrieve the records for whoever came to ask for them.

“How can I help you?” she asked as they stepped into the room. Behind her were several rows of filing cabinets.

“We’re looking for… uh…” _what am I looking for?_ He just wanted his mother’s name, why was this so hard—

“His birth record,” Evergreen said.

“I see. Name and Birthday.”

He gave her the information as she stood and began walking through the rows of filing cabinets, mumbling to herself. “Twenty-three years ago… twenty-three years ago…” She must have found what she was looking for, because her eyes lit up and she pulled open a cabinet, shuffling through folder after folder until she found the one they needed.

“Dreyar. Twenty-three years ago,” She slapped the piece of paper on the counter. “Write down what you need this is our copy.”

Laxus stared down at the slip of paper, a simple medical record from the day he was born. The time he was born, his weight, the name of the doctor presiding, his… mother’s name…

“Rose Aster…?” He wasn’t sure what he had been hoping for. Some sort of revelation? All the answers? What kind of fantasy had he been living in up to this point?

“Aster…” Freed mused, “That name sounds familiar.”

Disappointment bubbled within him. _Why was I so sure… this would be it?_

“Thank you,” Evergreen told the nurse, slipping the old hospital paper back towards her side of the desk. “Come on, Laxus. Let’s get something to eat.”

* * *

“So, that was weird,” Bickslow said, his mouth half full of food.

“Would it kill you to swallow before you talk?” Evergreen snapped.

Laxus had ordered a black coffee, but it remained untouched. He didn’t have much of an appetite.

“Laxus,” Ever said, her brow furrowed, “I know you were disappointed, but you need to eat something.”

“You have to keep your strength up!” Bickslow nodded, taking an enormous bite of bacon and then several bites of scrambled eggs. “After all, I’m sure we have more searching to do for this Rose person, right?”

“Aster…” Freed murmured, taking another sip from his tea. “So… familiar…” Then he blinked, blue eyes wide, he glanced over at Laxus. “Of course!” He said

“Freed?” Laxus frowned.

“I know where we have to go next! We have to go to Crocus!”

“Crocus?” Ever blinked, “Why?”

“The hall of records and history there—in the palace! Aster is the name of an old noble family, one of the families that supported the Fiore family when they became our monarchs hundreds of years ago!”

“Ohoho!” Bickslow snickered. “Laxus might be a prince?” 

“Not a prince,” Freed scoffed, as if the idea was ridiculous “as I recall, the Aster family isn’t related to the Fiore family at all, Bickslow.” He glanced across the table at Laxus with a grin, “But a Lord? It’s more than possible. We’ll find answers in Crocus.”

Laxus stood, straightening his fur coat, “Then let’s go.”


	3. Hall of Records

The capital city of Crocus… of course Laxus had been there for the Grand Magic Games, and several other jobs on occasion. The markets were open when they arrived and the city was bustling with shoppers. Evergreen led the way through the crowd, forcing Freed, Bickslow, and Laxus to follow closely. They passed by stalls selling all sorts of sweets, and useful things. One large stall was selling homemade toys… dolls and wooden blocks. A young woman with blonde hair stood in front of the stall, admiring the little wooden blocks. She was expecting a baby, hand on her baby bump, a warm smile on her lips. _Did my mother feel the same way_? Laxus mused, following after Ever. _Was she… happy about me?_ His grandfather had said that she had given him up to keep him safe. Was that true?

“In order to access the records of the noble families, we have to go through the palace. So of course, we’ll need an audience with the king.” Freed explained just as they reached the palace gates. The guards stopped them there and asked for their business.

“We’re here to see the hall of records,” Evergreen explained.

“For that, of course, we’ll need an audience with his majesty.”

“His majesty is currently away,” the guard replied.

“W-what?” Evergreen gasped, “But we need to access the records.”

“Well, there is one other option, we could see if the Princess would be willing to meet with you.”

“Please, we insist,” Freed nodded. One of the guards moved into the palace through the huge double doors.

“It might be a long wait,” the other said, “Her majesty is very busy.”

But it was only a few minutes later that the guard appeared, followed by the petite figure of Princess Hisui Fiore.

“Princess,” Freed said, eyes widening, “We expected you to greet us in the throne room—”

“Nonsense!” Hisui waved her hand, “My guard told me you all were Fairy Tail mages. I remember what Fairy Tail did on that day during the Grand Magic Games.” She smiled a little, and her jade eyes met Laxus’s orange. “I remember _you_ …” She mused, tapping her finger to her chin, and then her eyes lit up. “You fought the jade dragon.”

“If I recall correctly, Princess,” Laxus smiled, “In the end, _you_ were the one who saved _my_ life.” A moment of quiet passed between them, and then Hisui offered them a bright smile.

“Follow me,” She said, “You’re here for the noble records, correct? I’ll take you to the record hall.”

As she led them through the palace, she turned to face them, “What are you looking for? I’ll be happy to help.”

“Information on a family called Aster.” Laxus said.

“I see. We have family trees of all the noble families! I don’t know much about the Aster family, but I’m sure we’ll find what you need!”

She led them around one more turn and they arrived at big double doors, which she promptly threw open to reveal the hall of records. An enormous hall, full of elaborately carved shelves that were bursting with papers, and scrolls, and books.

“Let’s see,” Hisui smiled. “You’re looking for the Aster family records, correct?” She turned towards an enormous book on a pedestal by the door, and flipped to the front. “A… A… Aster. Shelf twenty-eight. Follow me!”

Hisui led them through the maze of records, until she found the shelf she was looking for and gestured to it. “All the Aster family records. Are you looking for something specific?” 

“Actually we’re looking for information on a Rose Aster.”

“Rose Aster…” Hisui mused. “Well, like I said, I don’t know much about the family. But lets see, maybe the best place to start would be their family tree. What time frame are we talking about?”

“Current,” Laxus said. Hisui pulled out a scroll and handed it to Laxus, their fingers brushing.

“Here you go,” she whispered, and offered him a soft smile. “Let me know if you need any more help finding anything. I’m quite happy to assist.”

“Thank you,” he nodded. As Hisui moved away, back towards the entrance of the records hall Bickslow elbowed Laxus hard.

“What?” Laxus groaned.

“I saw the eyes she was making at _you_ ,” Bickslow snickered.

“Shut up. That’s not why we’re here.” Laxus rolled his eyes. He spread the scroll out on a table to the side, and his friends gathered around. Towards the bottom of the family tree… was the name _Rose Aster._ She had married, but it looked like her husband had died, his death date only a few years ago—scratched out just below his name. She had three children listed from that marriage… of course, Laxus was not listed. But… here she was. She was _real_.

“She’s alive.” Laxus murmured. _Is this my mother_?

“These records are up to date, correct?” He called to Hisui.

The jade-haired princess appeared once more, and nodded. “Yes! They are always being kept up to date by family scribes.”

“We’re wondering where we might find this Rose Aster person,” Evergreen said, pointing to the family tree.

“Hmm… well, I would say to enquire at the Aster estate. It’s nearby, you won’t have to walk far to get there. I will happily give you directions!”

* * *

The Aster estate was a big house, just outside the castle limits. As they approached the enormous double doors of the house, Evergreen set her hand on Laxus’s shoulder. “Are you ready?” she smiled.

“No,” Laxus whispered. He closed his eyes, trying to remember his mother from his dream. He could see her blonde hair, hear her voice. The hum of her song. _Set aside your troubles… till tomorrow’s sun has rose…_ “Let’s do this.”

They made their way up the path towards the front doors of the house. Laxus’ friends stood behind him to support him, as he raised his fist, hesitating only for a moment before he knocked on the door. There was a moment of quiet before the door slowly opened, an older woman with graying black hair and wide blue eyes blinked out at them.

“May I help you?”

“I’m… looking for Rose Aster,” Laxus whispered, shuffling his feet.

“Yes, of course,” she smiled, “That’s me.”

Laxus blinked, glancing back at his friends. “That’s…” _That’s not right._ He knew from his grandfather’s description, and his own dream, that his mother hand blonde hair—like his own. He bit his lip. “Then… I think we’ve made a mistake.”

“Oh dear,” Rose blinked, “Well, that’s quite alright, why don’t you all come in for tea?”

“We don’t want to be a bother,” Freed said.

“And we’re in a hurry,” Laxus shook his head. _We have to figure out where we went wrong?_

“Now, hold on,” Rose said. “Your name is Laxus… isn’t it?”

Laxus turned, orange eyes wide. “Yeah.”

“I know why you’re here,” she said, smiling. “You’re looking for your mother.”

“Yes.” A spark of hope ignited in his heart.

“Well, why don’t you all come inside,” Rose said, “Because I know… who she is.”


	4. The Aster Family

“You know,” Rose smiled, leading them through her large home to her parlor. “My family, the Aster Family, is of noble descent. We were once advisors to the Fiore Family. Long ago.” She smiled a little, looking back to face them. “And my family was related to one other noble family.” She gestured for them to all sit. And as they did she said, “This family… the one the Aster Family is related to… that is the family your mother belonged to, Laxus.”

Laxus blinked, “Why did she use your name?”

Rose nodded thoughtfully, “Your mother and I were _very_ close, we were almost like sisters. She found life as a noble far too suffocating. Her parents were going to marry her off, but she wanted to be free. She wanted to be a mage. So she ran away, to start her own life. That’s how she met your father. She always kept in close contact with me… And I was happy to hear about her adventures, but I was worried when she began telling me things about Ivan that were… concerning.”

Laxus gritted his teeth, “My father… was a criminal. But, please, Miss Aster… you haven’t told me my mother’s name.”

Rose bit her lip, “I’m sorry you came searching for her now,” she said, “Your mother’s name was Layla Heartfilia.”

There was silence. Laxus’s thoughts jumbled and twisted, he couldn’t breathe. Heartfilia? As in… Lucy’s mother? His chest felt tight. “The Asters are related to the Heartfilias?” He whispered.

“Yes,” Rose smiled, “Layla was my cousin.”

“Th-that can’t be right,” Freed said, “Layla Heartfilia was married to Jude Heartfilia—”

“After Layla brought you to safety—she never told me where—she met Jude. I didn’t quite like him either. I always knew he was seeking power. He took her name because of the nobility that came with it, even though Layla was still trying to be a mage… once she found out she was pregnant though she gave in and they returned to their life of nobility. But she never forgot you, Laxus. I wouldn’t be surprised if she meant to go back for you—” Before Rose could finish Laxus stood suddenly. The emotion making his chest tight was beginning to make him break. He clenched his jaw, screaming in his mind, challenging himself not to cry. Why… why did this hurt him—he had never imagined it would hurt him like this.

“I’m leaving,” he managed to choke out—cursing himself for being rude to their host, but unable to say anything else without breaking. He spun around, stumbling into the hall, he heard Evergreen and Freed apologizing and thanking Rose, before the three of them followed after him onto the Crocus streets.

He felt like he couldn’t breathe, even out in the open, in the crisp air. He pressed a hand against the side of the building, taking in deep breaths. His friends joined him moments later.

“Laxus!” Freed gasped, “Are you alright?”

Evergreen set her hand on his shoulder. “Laxus…”

He didn’t know what to say, or how to express what he was feeling. “Let's go home,” he said.

“Laxus, don’t you want to talk about it—”

“No.” He hissed. “Don’t you get it? All that searching was for _nothing_. Layla is _dead_.” _I’ll never meet my mother._ His throat felt tight. He didn’t want to talk about it. He took a breath and turned towards the train station. “Let's go.”

* * *

He had a dream when he fell asleep, sick, on the train. He was standing in his childhood room, dimly lit with his nightlight. When the door burst open. And he saw her face for the first time in all his life. His mother. Layla Heartfilia. She had her hair pulled back, and she was smiling.

_“I found you!”_ she gasped, throwing her arms around him, pulling him close. He took in a shuddering breath, wrapping his arms around her. His mother… still loved him? But when she pulled away, it wasn’t Layla—it was Lucy. _“We finally found each other,”_ she said, tears in her amber eyes. _“My brother.”_

He woke with a start as the train stopped in Magnolia, and stumbled out of the car for fresh air, still feeling nauseous as hell.

“Laxus… there’s one thing we haven’t talked about,” Evergreen frowned. “Are you going to tell Lucy?”

Laxus gritted his teeth. Lucy… his half-sister… He took a breath. “No.” And then moved towards his apartment without another word.


End file.
